Aftershocks Worsen Crisis Afghans Struggle to Recover from Twin Quakes
Twin Earthquakes Wreak Havoc in Afghanistan
Following a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan on Sunday, the country was hit by a second major quake on Tuesday, compounding an already dire humanitarian crisis. The initial quake, which occurred in the mountainous Kunar province, killed an estimated 1,400 people and injured over 3,100, while destroying more than 5,400 houses, according to a Taliban spokesperson. Officials fear the second quake will bring even more destruction to a nation already struggling with poverty and a lack of resources.
The destruction is particularly severe in remote, difficult-to-reach valleys where entire villages made of mud and brick homes were flattened. Witnesses described a scene of overwhelming tragedy, with survivors digging graves for their loved ones using only pickaxes. One volunteer, Nasrullah Khan, recounted burying five people—three children and two young men—in separate graves, and noted that in some areas, only two or three people from each household survived. The trauma is visible on the faces of survivors like Gul Bibi, an 80-year-old woman in Mazar Dara, who was found weeping next to her destroyed home, holding her only surviving grandchild. She lost her entire family to the quake.
The United Nations has warned that the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams, hampered by rough terrain and damaged roads, struggle to reach victims still trapped under the rubble. The defense ministry has dispatched rescue teams and 40 flights have already evacuated over 420 victims. However, the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local capabilities. The rugged landscape and blocked roads are major challenges for aid teams trying to reach remote hamlets. The United Nations and other international aid groups are scrambling to provide assistance, but the country’s humanitarian crisis, worsened by past aid cuts and restrictive government policies, is making the response incredibly difficult.
